From Public High School Teacher to Seminary Student--Part 3

My wife, Christy, has completed part 3 of our story. Enjoy.

part 1 or part 2

A Place to Call Home

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. Psalm 27:4

With our Iowa house sold and the clear direction from God to move to California for Dave to attend The Master’s Seminary, we began to make our plans. The most obvious next step was to go visit the campus and look for housing. We booked our tickets and by the time we got on the plane in April, I was ready. I had done my research. I had made phone calls, sent emails and spent endless hours on the internet gaining “knowledge.” I had filled a binder full of all the information I had compiled. I knew exactly where we would and would not live. I had all but taken a map and drawn a circle around the place I had set my sights and a big red “x” on the area I refused to go. Not only that, but I was determined that we would be able to buy a home. Despite my husband’s attempts to persuade me, I thought renting seemed like a total waste of money.

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9

As I settled into my seat on the plane, I reached into my bag to find something to read. How providential it was that next to my binder of research was my Bible study called Legacy Living that my mentor, Linda Mohler, had written and sent with me. As I opened the folder, I saw the diagram of the house she had drawn entitled “A House Built God’s Way.”

We had just reviewed it recently and I had written in all the scripture references on the foundation, windows, doors, etc. She advised me to go back and look them up later. I decided now was a good time and started digging through my Bible. What I found was there was God Himself preparing my heart for what lay ahead. He was assuring me that my earthly dwelling really didn’t matter that much. What really mattered was building my life, my home, and my family upon the rock of Jesus Christ wherever we ended up.

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 3:11

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Psalm 127:1

There was one verse that seemed to speak right to my heart and told me I had been seeking the wrong kind of knowledge.

Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and theknowledge of the Holy One is insight. Proverbs 9:10

Upon our arrival into LA, we drove to a “host home” that the seminary had arranged for us. As we drove to the home of Dan and Adriane Hull, night had just fallen and the city lights were bright. I was tense as we drove along, making sure my car door was locked. As we neared their home, my heart began to settle a bit. Here amidst the hustle bustle of the city was a quiet little neighborhood with quaint little homes and charming front porches.

Dan and Adriane greeted us warmly and within moments, I felt like I was home. Adriane’s quiet and gentle spirit put me at ease almost immediately. I remember thinking that the Lord must certainly dwell here. During our stay with the Hulls, I often heard Adriane humming sweet hymns softly as she worked around the house. The Lord knitted our hearts together with this couple and their adorable children. I was able to share my fears about living in LA and God used Adriane to speak truth over me. I will never forget when she looked right at me and said with all sincerity, “you don’t need to be afraid.” I knew she wasn’t talking about the city, but about being under the watchful care of our Father.

In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

Within a couple of days of looking at real estate, it was evident that we would not be able to afford to buy a home. We definitely had “sticker shock” as we realized that even renting would be an expensive option. Some encouraged us to consider living in an apartment for the first year. We knew we needed to be ready to surrender our will to God’s, but my flesh was screaming…”nooooo, not an apartment!” I just couldn’t imagine homeschooling three children in an apartment with no place to spread out, no place to play. We continued to pray together throughout the trip. I remember Dave petitioning before God specifically for a house, one with a yard and a basketball hoop. Yet, not our will, but yours be done, Lord.

As the end of our trip drew near, we still had not secured housing.Should we rent an apartment? Or is it worth it to pay double that to rent a home? We didn’t know. We needed help deciding what to do.We needed the Lord to show us His will for us. It should not surprise us that He did just that, but it seems every time He does we stand in awe.

As we sat and ate our lunch in the sunshine near the fountain on the seminary campus, Dan Hull approached us with a woman and her daughter following closely behind him.

He had a huge grin on his face as he introduced us to Jennifer Lawson, explaining that her husband is graduating soon and they are moving out of their rental home nearby. The Hulls had been trying to no avail to connect us with the Lawsons all week. As she began to tell us about the home, one of the first things she said was “it has a huge yard and a basketball hoop!” As Dave was picking his jaw up off the floor, I began to get goose bumps when I learned that she had been homeschooling her three elementary aged children there for the last four years. It couldn’t have been more clear when she told us they were moving out June 6 (we had to be out of ours on June 7). We knew this was a gift from God when she began to tell us about their landlords and how they were like family to them. She explained that they are believers and view this rental property as a ministry to seminary families. Because of that, the rent is substantially less than that of most homes like it. In fact, the rent was less than most apartments. We were truly in awe. We couldn’t wait to see the house and “close the deal.”

We visited the home the next day and loved it. Adriane had been praying that God would give me a desire to live there and He certainly did. I fell in love with it as I sipped the freshly squeezed lemonade their daughter made from the lemon tree in the back yard.As I watched their children play, I could really envision us living there. I was ready to sign on the dotted line. We soon learned that it was a bit more complicated than that and not a “done deal.” The landlords were godly people that wanted to pray about who would live there next. They were considering opening it up to the seminary and conducting interviews and wanted to know everything about us.

The next day was Sunday and we were headed back to Iowa after church. While we were thrilled to be able to listen to John MacArthur preach, we were also feeling a little discouraged that we had not secured housing. We were getting on a plane that afternoon and we still didn’t have a place to live. Thankfully, George Lawson went out of his way to arrange for us to meet their landlords, in hopes that they might decide to let us live there after all. George had certainly given us his stamp of approval, which was worth a lot to them. So, it was there in the sunny plaza that we met Nehemiah and Victoria Chua for the first time. Victoria asked Dave several questions about his walk with Christ and decision to go into ministry.

After a few moments, Nehemiah turned to Victoria and said, “Well, what do you think?”

She paused a moment and replied, “We will pray about it.” We decided to exchange contact information and get in touch again later. As Dave turned to write down our information, my heart was breaking. I had such wonderful anticipation and I was crushed.

While Dave was writing,Victoria turned to Nehemiah and said, “What do you think?”

He replied, “I think it’s okay. I trust George.”

Victoria said, “You’ve made up your mind?”

Nehemiah replied, “Yes, I made it up last night.”

She turned to me with a beautiful smile and said, “it’s yours!”

We embraced and tears stung my eyes as all of us rejoiced together.The same God that turns the hearts of kings had turned their hearts toward us. What a wonderful Lord we serve!

As we walked into Grace Community Church, my heart was dancing. I was so thankful for His lovingkindness and provision once again. As the service began, I looked up and saw Victoria smiling at us from the choir pews in the front of the sanctuary. I almost could not believe my ears when Pastor MacArthur read this scripture at the beginning of the service.

“And they prayed and said, “You Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen.” Acts 1: 24

Just as the lot fell on Matthias, God assured that the lot would fall upon us as the new tenants in this home. God was confirming for me yet again His complete and total sovereignty over all. He was assuring me that this came to pass by His hand alone. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

So this is our new home. I love it here. Where is it, you ask? Why, of course, it’s right smack dab in the middle of where I said I would notlive, but it’s also right smack dab in the center of God’s will for us. I love the beautiful rose bushes growing in the yard. I love the Jewish lady across the street, the rowdy college kids next door, and Mr. Perez who pushes his grandson in the stroller around the block. I love the squeaky floor and the portable dishwasher that I have to hook up to the sink. But most of all, I love that the Lord lives here, that because of Him alone, our rooms are filled with the precious and pleasant riches of Christ.

From Public School Teacher to Seminary Student (Part 2)

Here is Part 2 of the story (once again written by my lovely bride)

This Old House

Sometimes the cloud was a few days over the tabernacle, and according to the command of the Lord they remained in camp; then according to the command of the Lord they set out. Numbers 9:20

The passage above has become a dear one to me. God prepared my heart with it over a year ago as I studied the journey of the Israelites and began to get a glimpse of what it must have been like to be settled into a place and then told to move. It was a precious lesson about faith and obedience. Though the Israelites had the visual presence of God within a cloud and knew clearly just when to move, we too have been given guidance in His word. As the Lord began to press upon our hearts and show us that we are to move to California, we knew the next step was packing up our tent – a.k.a. selling our house.

As we discussed all the details involved in selling a house, we faced a very real fear…what if it didn’t sell? Would we still move our family to California for Dave to attend seminary? After much prayer and discussion, we decided that yes, we would still go whether or not the house sold. A calling is a calling…period. It’s not a conditional or contingent agreement with God about Him doing this and then we’ll do that. It is a step of faith…trusting Him. Worrying would be failure to believe God at His word. So, we resolved to do everything we could to sell the house, but to go to California even if it didn’t sell.

Over the weeks that followed, we began to do what everyone who wants to sell their home does…clean, declutter, paint, etc. As I moved from room to room, memories came flooding back. This is the first and only home we have ever owned. This is the home I brought my first baby home to…and my second…and my third. Every corner seemed to tell a story. As I went through the bedrooms, I remembered nursing and rocking each child in the rocker by the nursery window. I remembered cuddling up in bed reading bedtime stories and tending to sick children through the night. The basement brought back memories of all the family movie nights – eating pizza and giggling until past bedtime. Then there was the living room with the front window seat that our new puppy has claimed as his own this past year. And the comfy recliner that Dave sits in when he reads to the kids at night. And last but not least - the kitchen with its memories of baking cookies with the kids, hanging out around the island with friends after bible study, and Dave’s Saturday morning French toast. As I washed dishes that night, I looked out my kitchen window and saw my children playing happily on the swing set in the back yard. I pondered a moment about how this might be one of the last times I look out this particular window watching my children play in this yard, on this swing set. I know it all sounds a little silly, but it’s true. I got very sentimental and nostalgic during that time. It was wonderfully bittersweet. I was more and more endeared to my family as I thought about all the memories that have been made in this old house.

It also made me a little nervous. This house is all I have ever known. This street, this neighborhood, this town…it is my home. I know every little knook and cranny. I know and love all the little quirks. I love that I have to lean against the front door to get the dead-bolt to lock. I love that the floor creaks right in front of the window. I love that you have to jiggle the handle on the toilet when it runs. I love that the neighbor kids come over every afternoon and know where I keep the snacks. I love living two minutes from the pharmacy, the grocery store and the library. This is my home and it is comfortable. Will I ever love another home, another neighborhood, another community this much? Especially one in southern California, in L.A.? It didn’t seem likely to me at that point and I began to fret and worry. What were we thinking? Why in the world would we leave a place like this…and for what again? Seminary?

As the doubts and fears whirled around in my mind, I wondered if Sarah might have had some similar feelings. She didn’t even know where they were going…just that Abraham said God told him they had to go. We might assume they didn’t have much back in that time period, but Sarah’s house was nothing to wink at. Historical records show they had over a dozen rooms and at least two courtyards. I wonder if she went around each room reminiscing before they left. I wonder if she had doubts and fears.

In His great compassion, the Lord comforted me and reminded me that I have nothing to fear and that He is watching over my life. I am continually amazed by how personal God is, caring about the details of my life. I am also continually blessed by His faithfulness, especially when I am faithless. During a season when I should be the most “spiritual” and spirit-filled, I found myself busy and distracted. While I should have been praying and reading the word, I was consumed with all the details of preparing the house to sell, when only one thing was needful. Thankfully, the Lord sought me out and delivered me out from all my fear and anxiety. One day while I was packing up and cleaning up the basement, I put in a CD called "Redemption" by Sons of Korah. As I went about my work, the words of Psalm 121 hit me like a mac truck. I stopped packing and sat down on the couch and listened and wept. It was like the Lord was speaking right to me.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

What was I worried about? The same God who has watched over my life the past twelve years in this house promises to watch over me forever. He does not slumber. He will not let my foot slip.

Yes, it was time to make this real. So, after much painting and primping, this old house was ready to show. So, we listed it on a Friday and put the sign in the yard. By Monday we had our first showing. As I flitted around the house fluffing and primping its pretty walls and floors, I thought about who might be coming and what they would think. Would it be a young couple just starting out like we were 12 years ago or a retired couple, or a family with kids like us? We threw the kids and the dog in the car and went to the park during the showing. By nine o’clock that night, we had an offer. It had only been four days and the first couple to walk through the house bought it. It was almost too good to be true.

“Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God.” 2 Samuel 7:18-19

Was God really this clear? So far in our lives, He has been. Perhaps he knows we are of little faith and need a big neon signs that say “go this way!”

As Dave and I sat on the couch that night, we just held each other and wept. It was a happy and a sad cry. We were so thankful to God and praising Him for his guidance and provision, and yet sad to say good-bye to this life here. Selling the house made it real. It was time to go.

Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time, that the cloud continued over the tabernacle, abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set. Numbers 9:22

From Public School Teacher to Seminary Student (Part 1)

This is the first of a series of entries sharing how God has been calling me to full-time vocational ministry. My family and I will be moving from Ankeny, Iowa, to California this summer and I will begin classes at The Master's Seminary this June. I have been a public school English teacher (both junior high and high school) for 14 years.

This first entry was written by my beautiful bride, Christy. You can visit her blog here.

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. Genesis 12:1

We have often thought what great faith Abram had to obey God, even though he did not know where He was going (Hebrews 11:8). Indeed, he did have great faith, but it was not something he mustered up on his own, for faith itself is a gift (Ephesians 2:8,9) What matters is the object of faith, namely Jesus Christ. We’re not patriarchs, but recently Dave and I have felt a bit like Abram and we are thankful that it’s not up to us to muster the faith to obey. For we are about to embark upon a journey that involves leaving everything we know to answer a call to ministry.

We have sensed a spirit of preparation for something for quite some time. We both felt that we were living in a season of preparation for some kind of ministry…we just weren’t sure what it was yet. I suspect it was born in our hearts some time during 2005, which turned out to be a spiritual landmark year of sorts. Not only was that the year we switched churches and our son was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, it was also the year we attended our first missions conference. At the end of the service, the pastor invited anyone who felt called to missions to come down front and pray. He made it clear that this public profession did not necessarily mean you were headed out on the next plane to Zimbabwe, but that you were answering the call to missions whether that was in your own neighborhood or half way around the world. Before we knew it we were out of our seats and down in front praying. It was one of those moments I will never forget – when Dave looked at me, his face and eyes had the look of exactly what I was also feeling. He said, “I have to go down there,” and I responded with, “I know. I’m coming too.” We were both feeling a clear “call” to serve the Lord, whatever and wherever that meant. We got up and walked hand in hand to the front as if to say, “Yes, Lord. Here am I. Send me.” That was five years ago. Much has happened in our lives during that time and God has allowed us to be used by Him right here at home, even through our own failures and frailties. Mostly, though, it has been a season of personal growth and pruning, of sanctification, of coming to know Him deeper. Through it all, God has continued to increase our desire to serve Him full time in vocational ministry, finding ourselves most filled with joy when we can share the word with others.

While it is true that God can be glorified through secular employment (1 Corith. 10:31, Colossians 3:23), Dave’s job as a public high school teacher was becoming increasingly challenging as his desire to share the gospel and teach the word continued to grow. Depressed and lost students approached him constantly with questions and cries for help. He was deeply bothered by the fact that he couldn’t share the hope of Christ; he felt his tongue was bolted and his hands were tied. The fact that he was prohibited to share the gospel while at school, the one thing he lives to do, was weighing very heavily upon him. It was painful to know the answer and not be able to share it with a lost world. So many people have told us that he is a “light in the darkness” and there is no denying God has used him over the years. However, the reality is that apart from the gospel, his positive moral lifestyle was futile and powerless. The gospel of Jesus Christ is our only hope and is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16) and “faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17).

While we have known for quite some time that Dave was soon to be called out of the public school system, we weren’t sure what we were being called to yet. We needed wisdom and the Lord is faithful to give it when we ask (James 1:5). He promises to grant it to us through the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10

As we look to Jesus Christ, we are instructed in the path of life.He, Himself is wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. What a blessing to know that as we come to know Him deeper, He guides us in each and every step of our lives.

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The Spirit of counsel and might,

The Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:2

So, forgetting what lies behind, we strained forward to what lie ahead, pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). As we continued to pray and study the word, we were blessed exponentially. We began to understand that this wasn’t about knowing what we were being called to, but who - it is simply about knowing Him (Philippians 3:10). God answered our plea and began to show us more and more about his character and nature that we had not yet known (Jeremiah 33:3). He revealed so much to us, but one of the most life-changing attributes He showed us in His word was how sovereign He is in all things, including salvation (see this post). Our view of God was completely turned upside down as we were convinced through the reading of His word that we had been worshipping a god who was omniscient and omnibenevolent, but not sovereign in all things. We finally understood it was God who drew us and gave us the gifts of repentance and faith in Christ. There was and is nothing about us or our lives deserving of His gift of Christ dying in our place and drawing us to Himself through the Gospel.

That was the beginning of what turned into a voracious appetite Dave had for studying scripture and theology. He started staying up into the wee hours of the morning, digging through scripture, cross-referencing, reading commentaries and systematic theologies, and loving every minute of it. Not only was he learning and loving it, but he was using his gift of teaching to instruct me and others in what he was learning.Through church and small group Bible studies, it became clear that He had a gift for teaching the word to others.

Close friends kept asking him when he was going to go to seminary. His answer was always the same. He would humbly thank them, but insist that he didn’t want to be a pastor; he just wanted to learn the word…(oh and by the way, teach it).It was during that time that I began to pray about him going into the ministry. I wasn’t sure how or when, but it seemed quite likely that was where he was headed, but I needed confirmation from the Lord.

Within a few months, Dave was forced to answer the question, “Are you being called to go into full-time vocational ministry? And if so, what’s holding you back?” Thanks to some faithful brothers in Christ, who were willing to hold his feet to the fire and hold him accountable, he was forced to truly pray and seek wisdom for the question he had been running from. At this same time, Dave was studying about the purpose and function of the local church and God clearly showed him through scripture the importance and necessity of pastors “to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:12-13). The answer, of course, was a resounding, “yes.” In fact, he found that the desire and meditations of his own heart were best said by C.H. Spurgeon in an excerpt addressing one’s call to ministry: “This desire should be one which continues with us, a passion which bears the test of trial, a longing from which it is quite impossible for us to escape, though we may have tried to do so; a desire, in fact, which grows more intense by the lapse of years, until it becomes a yearning, a pining, a famishing to proclaim the Word.”

Though the first question was easy to answer, the second was a bit more painful. As we looked at what was holding us back from leaving everything we knew, uprooting our family, and moving halfway across the country, the only thing we could come up with was fear and worry….basically sin…the sin of not trusting God to provide for our every need. Well, God has something to say about that too.

²⁵ "Therefore I tell you ,do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?²⁸And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:25-33

So the real question was, “do we believe God or not?” This was a crisis of belief. We either believe God and obey…or we don’t. As Henry Blackaby says in Experiencing God about this kind of God-sized step, “You cannot stay where you are and go with God.” That is what was happening to us and we knew the next step was critical. We could either ignore all this and go on with our lives as if nothing happened, or Dave could apply to seminary. Dave’s acceptance to The Master’s Seminary in southern California was only the first of a series of providential circumstances that have confirmed the Lord’s blessing in this next chapter or our lives. California, here we come!

Commit your way to the Lord

Trust in Him and He will act. Psalm 37:5

Stay tuned for part 2.

Why Would a Public School Teacher Homeschool His Kids?

Why would a public school teacher choose to homeschool his children?

Many people have asked me that question since we recently decided to educate our children at home beginning this fall. AJ will be in 5^th grade, Zach in 3^rd and Olivia in kindergarten. Some of our dearest friends have asked us why we would not enroll our children in the very system in which I am employed. These are good questions and ones that deserve honest answers. This is not a decision that we came to impulsively. Rather it was one that we fervently prayed over and sought answers to within the Bible, while also seeking godly counsel. Over the years, as Christy and I have faced several life-changing decisions, the Lord has always been faithful to unite our hearts in agreement. In this post, I will be addressing the issue of “why” we decided to homeschool our kids. If you want the story of “how” we came to this decision, read Christy’s post here.

Writing this post has been a good exercise as it has caused us to examine our goals for our children and our motives for choosing to educate them at home. As a public high school English teacher, I understand the value of education. I work in a high quality system (one of the best in the state) committed to academic success. I have seen many students excel within this system and go on to be very successful in their lives and careers. As a teacher within this system, I honor my employer and community by striving to provide the best quality education I can to my students. I work with an outstanding staff who work hard to provide the best education possible to students. I have many close friends who are fellow teachers and staff in the school district.

So why homeschool? As a Christian, my source of truth and authority on all things is the Bible.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV).

The Bible is clear that parents should consider their children as a gift from God and we have the responsibility to give our kids a Christian education and to disciple them in the ways of Scripture.

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20).

I used to think that education and discipleship could be done in two different environments by different groups of people, but the Bible is clear that education and discipleship are the same. One cannot be successfully completed apart from the other. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 is a command from Christ, not a suggestion, and our part of it begins (but doesn't end) in our own home. Our decision to homeschool is mainly about the discipleship of our children.

What dreams and desires do we have for our children and how are we helping them achieve these things? Do we want them to be financially successful in lucrative careers? Do we want them to have a bigger house than we have now and enjoy the “nicer” things of life? Do we want them to be powerful and influential in the world? Is it wrong to have nice things and pursue financial success? No, of course not, but Christ’s teaching of what is most important is repeated three times in Scripture:

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?
” (Matthew 16:26)

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
” (Mark 8:36)

“For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:25)

Christ also says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” Matthew 6:33.

Our greatest desire is for our children to fulfill the greatest two commandments, according to Jesus: “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:37-39).

The reason any of us exist at all is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever:

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36).

Christ says we are to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Christy and I have realized that it is very difficult to disciple our children and teach them a Biblical worldview when they are away at school for seven hours a day.

What does the Bible say about discipleship and education? The testimony of Scripture on education and discipleship is clear: teach the truths of the word of God because wisdom and knowledge of all things begins with God.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
 fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7).

“For the LORD gives wisdom;
 from his mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6).

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
 and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10).

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
 and do not lean on your own understanding.
 In all your ways acknowledge him,
 and he will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
 all those who practice it have a good understanding.
 His praise endures forever!” (Psalm 111:10)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).

“that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments” (Colossians 2:2-4).

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:6-8).

“For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness,’ and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.’ So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:19-23).

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:13-18).

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

“You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 18:4-5).

Scripture is clear that wisdom begins with God and should be taught from His perspective, not a worldly one that ignores a Biblical worldview. This makes our role as parents clear: teach our children the whole counsel of God from the only reliable source of truth in existence—God’s Holy Bible. That means we will teach all subject areas—math, science, literature, history, etc. from a Biblical worldview. The Bible is also clear that this isn’t to be done just on Sundays at church or to try to squeeze it in between school, activities, and life. Our entire home and lives should be immersed in the Scriptures so its truth permeates all that we think and do.

“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6: 1-9).

“All your children shall be taught by the LORD,
 and great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13).

“A disciple is not above his teacher; but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40).

“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

“Train up a child in the way he should go;
 even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

“for as he calculates in his soul, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:2-3).

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

“he said to them, ‘Take to heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may command them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess’” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47).

“’You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth’” (Deuteronomy 11:18-21).

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts. I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep your word. I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules” (Psalm 119:97-106).

“My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way” (Proverbs 6:20-23).

“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:7-13).

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3).

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15).

Another testimony of Scripture on home schooling/home discipleship involves having a multigenerational vision. We aren’t going to homeschool for our kids’ sake only—we are thinking about a multigenerational legacy of our grandkids and great-grandkids being brought up to love the Lord with all their hearts, souls, and minds and being taught all subject areas from a Biblical worldview.

“’And as for me, this is my covenant with them,’ says the LORD: ‘My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,’ says the LORD, ‘from this time forth and forevermore’” (Isaiah 59:21).

“Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob
 and appointed a law in Israel,
 which he commanded our fathers
 to teach to their children,
 that the next generation might know them,
 the children yet unborn,
 and arise and tell them to their children,
 so that they should set their hope in God
 and not forget the works of God,
 but keep his commandments;
 and that they should not be like their fathers,
 a stubborn and rebellious generation, 
 a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
 whose spirit was not faithful to God” (Psalm 78:1-8).

“Tell your children of it,
 and let your children tell their children,
 and their children to another generation” (Joel 1:3).

“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children” (Deuteronomy 4:9).

This is an impressive testimony of Scripture of what our responsibility is to our children. We are so thankful to our Lord for speaking to us so clearly and for the desire and ability to home disciple our kids. We are doing this completely for His glory, not our own. We can’t wait to see what He has in store for us as we will rely completely on Him during this glorious adventure with our children as we educate them in His truth.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4).